no happy ending

So I have been putting off posting a truth God has given to me lately because honestly it’s not something that’s easy to process, but I am realizing how important it is to face it.

Growing up, I often felt like God owed me a happy ending. Like if I did all the right things and followed Him the best I could, than I would be given everything my heart desires.

But part of growing up is seeing that not everyone gets a happy ending on earth. No amount of good deeds, kind heart, or right decisions GUARANTEES that a person will get exactly what they wanted in this life. I have witnessed a lot of tragedy this year that has put this reality into perspective.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t witnessed goodness in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13), I absolutely have. But all the loss of dreams, loss of people and the hope for a perfect life, has grieved my heart.

So how do we best face the reality that we may not get the happy ending we want? I think our best course of action is to look to Jesus and His comfort, first and foremost. But more than that, look to His example. Jesus obeyed God in coming to a broken Earth to suffer and die for our sins. In the end, He received the ultimate glory in doing this and He got to redeem us so we could go live with Him! In other words, He obeyed…

So I have come to the conclusion that the best course of action I can take in the face of disappointment is to trust and obey. I may not understand why I do not have the thing I want, (even a seemingly good thing), or why I have had to confront certain kinds of hardship others have not, but my job at this point is to say, yes, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;…” Job 13:15.

And the best news is, as believers in Christ and His forgiveness, we are promised heaven with Him in all it’s eternal wonder and perfection. Not to say we should give up hoping or working for good things on the Earth, but we can continue to both accept reality for what it is and look forward to a bright, BRIGHT future with our Creator who loves us dearly!